06/15/2012

Will IT Buy Into the Enterprise App Store?

The proverbial stars have aligned – device proliferation, app development tools, mobile broadband, and a burgeoning apps ecosystem created a significant opportunity as organizations mobilize business processes and workflows.

Source: VDC Research, 2012

Not only has device proliferation and the expanding apps ecosystem extended the virtual boundaries of the enterprise, it has also blurred the lines between “home” and “office” and has opened up new opportunities for both business-to-employee (b2e) and customer-facing applications. Determining the scenarios for these engagements and using the right tools to both design and deploy mobile applications has, and will continue to be key for organizations as they expand their mobile workforce. While this mobile computing cycle is just getting started, the software ecosystem itself is growing up quickly, bringing opportunity for both mobile oriented ISVs and for organizations that have implemented mobile strategies to both customize and fully integrate mobile solutions into their existing technology platforms.

As depicted above, the capabilities of mobile applications have evolved significantly over a short period of time – today’s iteration of mobile applications has changed the face of business by providing operational advantages that have become indispensible in many industries. Advancements in both our wireless broadband infrastructure and in the capabilities of mobile computing solutions have provided organizations with an opportunity to not only adopt an expanded range of enterprise-grade mobile applications, but to drive top-line growth while improving the bottom line.

MAM platforms and tools will play a key role in this enablement, as they bring organizations the ability to leverage the potential of enterprise applications for both its internal and customer-facing business applications. As mobile adoption continues to surge in the enterprise, having a broad and sophisticated application portfolio will drive significant competitive advantages, as it can enable enhanced productivity, superior customer engagement, and improved supplier relationship management.

These points will be expounded upon in an upcoming Enterprise Application Store / MAMreport which is due to publish later this month.